GRATERFORD — While considering where to continue her education and athletic career, Mikki Guiton had already decided she wanted to attend a college in a big city.

She certainly got her wish when she was offered a scholarship to play basketball at Manhattan College in New York City.

The Perkiomen Valley senior will major in business and marketing at the school of 3,400 students, and also hopes to move right into the starting lineup for the NCAA Division I Jaspers, who made it to the semifinals of the Women’s Basketball Invitational last season.

“I already had my mind set. I wanted to go to a big city,” said Guiton, who signed a national letter of intent Tuesday afternoon at the high school. “There’s always going to be so much to do, so that’s exciting … eating, shopping, going to see a show.”

Advertisement

It didn’t take long for Manhattan to contact Guiton after coaches saw her play in a tournament in Richmond, Va., this past summer for the Runnin’ Rebels — one of the top AAU teams in the Philadelphia area. And it didn’t take long for Guiton to choose the school in the city of over eight million over Hartford University.

“They pretty much offered me a full ride right off the bat,” said Guiton. “It’s the perfect opportunity and the perfect destination. I like the coach (John Olenowski) and the atmosphere and the girls. I really felt like I already knew them. I felt connected. Manhattan College and Hartford University … they’re very different. Manhattan is smaller.”

Last season, Guiton averaged 9.7 points per game in Pioneer Athletic Conference play, including 70.3 percent shooting from the free throw line (26-for-37), as the Vikings came on strong at the end of the season with seven wins in their final 10 games. She was second on the team in scoring to Erin Hamm, who will be a freshman softball player at Manhattan this year.

One of the 6-foot tall Guiton’s assets is her strong inside play.

“One of my strengths is definitely in the post, because I’m one of the bigger girls in the league,” she said. “And foul shots.”

This year she’s the leading returning scorer on a young team that will try to earn one of the playoff spots from the always-tough Liberty Division.

“Hopefully, our goal is to get to the final four and the championship game,” she said. “I know our girls have been putting in a lot of hard work. We have a lot of fresh faces. New teams are always exciting. Nobody knows what we’ll bring to the table.”

Guiton played field hockey as a freshman and sophomore, but now plays basketball year round. Next year, she’ll be heading to an up-and-coming Metro Atlantic Conference team that finished 18-16 last year. Four of the Jaspers’ top seven players this year are seniors, so Guiton certainly expects to see considerable playing time as a freshman, even if she doesn’t get a chance to move right into the starting lineup.

“I wanted to make sure I’m not just going to be sitting on the bench until my junior year,” she said. “If I work hard and get stronger and improve, I might start. That’s my goal. Even if I don’t start, I’ll play my freshman year.”